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2010-2011 EPG Fellows

Cassy Hobert ‘12
Spanish/Speech Communication
Frenchburg, KYCassandra Hobert, Kentucky Environmental Foundation, Berea KY For ten weeks during the summer of 2011 Directed Field Experience, senior Communication and Spanish double major, Cassandra Hobert interned in Berea, KY with the Kentucky Environmental Foundation, an organization focused on the finding and implementing solutions to issues that affect human health and the environment. Sponsored by communication professor, Dr. Billy Wooten, and EPG coordinator, Dr. Peter Hackbert, this internship focused on data analysis and the communication of environmental issues.Over the course of the internship, Cassandra had numerous opportunities to develop skills in public relations: attending events (such as the federal EPA hearing in Atlanta, Georgia and the March on Blair Mountain in Blair, West Virginia), writing press releases, op-eds, media advisories, and giving statements and interviews to increase public awareness of these events. She also translated several documents regarding environmental impacts on health—including an article and a brochure—into Spanish for distribution within the Hispanic community. As a final project, Cassandra worked with Lexington city planner, Henry Jackson, gathering information on the amount of energy and money the city of Berea uses within its transit fleet, government buildings, etc., to be entered into data analysis software that will give projections of how to lower Berea’s carbon footprint (and consequently their spending). The result of this project will be an Energy Cost-Savings Plan that the city of Berea will begin to implement within the next year, which, if successful, will be the first plan of its kind in Appalachia.

Demissew Zike ’12
Computer Science and Mathematics
EthiopiaDemissew Zike, Information Trust Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign For nine weeks in the summer 2011 Directed Field Experience (DFE) or internship, Demissew Zike worked with Dr. Rakesh Bobba of the Information Trust Institute (ITI) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As the power grid moves towards a distributed and in-network processing paradigm, efficient and secure communication mechanism is required between member nodes or gateway modules spread across a cluster of physical machines. To provide this needed functionality, Demissew participated in a Tier 1 research and development of a flexible messaging library for use in Phasor Gateways. The project is meant to produce open source code that will be used in real-world (power system control centers). This DFE internship advances Demissew’s programming as well as research skills while embracing and engaging in real life complexity and uncertainty—one of the most important entrepreneurial skills. He explored values and ethical structures through a series of seminars about computer security and research ethics by leading researchers at Illinois. Demissew, a senior Computer Science major, managed to apply and actively observe the application of the six EPG abilities throughout the entire DFE. Dr. Jan Pearce served as a primary sponsor and Dr. Peter Hackbert served as his secondary sponsor.

Husniddin Mamatov ’12
Business Administration
UzbekistanHusniddin Mamatov /New Community Ventures Cooperation, Lexington Kentucky Building upon EPG abilities gained from the previous summer 2010 experience, Husniddin Mamatov became familiar with the inner-workings of one of the nation’s well-known Certified Development Companies (CDC): Community Ventures Corporation in Lexington, KY. Husniddin worked under the mentorship of Ms. Kimberly Wilson, Lending Administrator at CVC, reviewing and analyzing financial statements, and James Coles, assisting in the credit analysis and underwriting process, determining eligibility, and preparing loan proposals for approval. Working as an Assistant Loan Officer, he gained current knowledge about SBA loan programs. Husniddin is a senior at Berea College majoring in accounting and finance. Dr. Peter Hackbert served as his primary sponsor and Dr. Ed McCormack served as a secondary sponsor.

Jennifer Mante ’12
Applied Science and Mathematics
GhanaJennifer Mante, Grow Appalachia- Laurel County African American Heritage Center, London KY. Under the umbrella of Grow Appalachia a non-profit organization based in Berea College, Jennifer worked under the supervision of Wayne Riley as a Food Security and Community Development social entrepreneurship intern at the Laurel County African American Heritage Center Grow Appalachia (LCAAHC-GA) project. Dr. Peter Hackbert served as her primary sponsor and Dr. Richard Olsen served as Jennifer’s secondary sponsor. Jennifer’s internship program enabled her to understand and practice the concept of food security in local communities and also how to build community and create atmospheres for innovation. Jennifer, a Senior Psychology major spent 10 weeks working in home and community gardens for 30 low-income families in Laurel County Kentucky. She conducted surveys and created a database for the organization to enable the program to keep track of its progress. Jennifer also built a social media strategy that involved the Facebook and Blogging to share the progress of the organization with the world. Jennifer will summarize her EPG abilities and share her learning.

Johauna Gosney ’12
Sociology
Newport, KYJohauna Gosney, Red Bird Mission, Beverly, KY For the direct field experience social entrepreneurship internship Johauna Gosney became familiar with the interworking of a rural comprehensive nonprofit organization that serves the tri county area of Bell, Leslie and Clay counties. Working in Development with Tim Crawford, Gosney informed and promoted Red Bird Mission news and events on a daily basis. The summer internship began with preparation and execution of a 90th anniversary outdoor concert fundraiser event, Celebration of the Legacy. By the end of the summer Johauna published Red Bird Notes, a printed and emailed newsletter edition, a testimonial brochure meanwhile giving tours to potential emissaries of church groups. Johauna is a senior Sociology major. Dr. Peter Hackbert served as a primary sponsor and Dr. Chad Berry served as her secondary sponsor.

Natalie Crone ’12
Speech Communications
West Bloomfield, MINatalie Crone, Center for Progressive Leadership/ Neighborhood Funders Group, DC. Natalie’s 2011 summer social entrepreneurship internship was spent completing her 10 week Directed Field Experience in Washington, DC. Natalie’s DFE was a two pronged experience, interacting with nonprofit foundations and progressive leadership training. Through the Center for Progressive Leadership, New Leaders program Natalie was able to immerse herself in the political progressive movement as a Senior Politic Science major. Natalie gained political leadership experience with many different issues within the progressive movements, such as the Dream Act. When not attending leadership training, Natalie completed an internship at the Neighborhood Funders Group serving as an office associate. She familiarized herself with the politics, policies and trends within the foundation world of private grant making. Dr. Peter Hackbert was the primary sponsor and David Cooke w as the secondary sponsor for Natalie. This internship was designed with the support of the EPG program, the Appalachian Regional Commission Natalie plans to utilize her new understanding of private grant making to accentuate her leadership training, with hopes of brining progressive and systemic change to the Appalachian region.

Nichelle Wilson ’12
Sociology
Louisville, KYNichelle Wilson, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Louisville, KY Nichelle united with the nonprofit organization Kentuckians for the Commonwealth to help increase the knowledge of House Bill 70 in the Louisville area. While in the process of expanding the knowledge of House Bill 70, she also helped create a new method to market the material under the supervision of Colette Henderson. This included interviewing and documenting the stories of current and former felons. Over the course of the social entrepreneurship directed field experience Nichelle, a Senior Sociology major was able to take the skills that she learned from the EPG Summer Institute, such as facilitating group decisions and recognizing opportunity, to network and make new connections; both for the organization as well as herself. Dr. Jackie Burnside served as a primary sponsor and Dr. Peter Hackbert served as her secondary sponsor.

Noel Toni ‘12
Business Administration
Burkina FasoNoel Toni, Bank of America, Washington DC As an intern in the American University Summer Program in Washington DC, Noel worked with David Brown and attended an International Business and Economics seminar class while working full time within the Global Government Division of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The Global Government Division of BOA provides a wide range of banking solutions to US federal & state government entities, foreign government representations, international institutions and non-profit organizations. Under the supervision of BOA Vice President Rebecca Han, Noel assisted the division’s Client Relationship Managers for nine weeks. Through this Directed Field Experience, Noel a Senior Business Administration major was exposed to a variety of relationship management tools, due diligence procedures and compliance systems management. Dr. Ed McCormack served as primary sponsor and Dr. Peter Hackbert served as a secondary sponsor for Noel. Designed with the support of the EPG program, the Appalchian Regional Commission and the Business Department, this summer project provided Noel an appropriate venue to explore the multi-faceted aspects of the public-private sector relationship.

Sai Thiha ’13
Economics
MyanmarSai Thiha, Bad Girl Ventures Non-profit Micro-finance Organization, Cincinnati OH In the first summer 2010 in Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program Sai Thiha was introduced to the micro-finance industry’s crucial role in creating new jobs and small business development in rural communities. Building on the summer 2011 program the summer 2011 internship (Direct Field Experience) was secured with Bad Girl Ventures (BGV), a non-profit microfinance organization in Cincinnati, Ohio. BGV is a highly localized micro-lending organization serving women-owned startup companies in Greater Cincinnati. Sai assumed responsibility as an economic development specialist in BGV and worked with the founder and CEO of BGV, the operation manager, the marketing manager, and the strategy manager in the process of generating entrepreneurs as well as Candace Klein and running the micro-finance program effectively and efficiently. Sai also successfully implemented the BGV Social Economic Impact project, BGV Annual Report Project, BGV Peer to Peer Lending Project, and BGV Social Media Marketing project for the organization. Sai, a Junior Economics major desired to expand his knowledge in micro-finance models from the implications in Kentucky and Ohio to transfer his knowledge to his country, Myanmar (Burma).

Taylor Pipkin ’12
Communications
Pittsburgh, PA.Taylor Pipkin, Foster Grandparent Program, Pittsburgh, PA For twelve weeks during the summer of 2011 Directed Field Experience, Taylor Pipkin became involved with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Foster Grandparent Program. During her work, Taylor, a Senior Communications major was supervised by Rebecca Maletto. Dr. Kennaria Brown served as a primary sponsor and Dr. Peter Hackbert served as her secondary sponsor. While working with the Foster Grandparent Program Taylor recognized an opportunity to increase the organization’s use of Social Media outlets as a means of marketing and advertisement. Through knowledge acquired through research she was able to increase viewership and activity on the Foster Grandparent Facebook page. She was also able to create a face for the Foster Grandparent Program online by developing a personalized yet professional website for their organization. While working in this social entrepreneurship with the Foster Grandparent Program Taylor was able to develop relationships with multiple non-profit organizations around Southwestern Pennsylvania and increase support of the Foster Grandparent Program’s mission.